Bacco Italian Restaurant

Mt. Pleasant’s Bacco is as close to pulling off the idea of that fabled “neighborhood Italian place” you hear about in other cities: small, friendly service with straightforward Southern Italian food that creates regulars out of customers. Start your meal with the fire-roasted olives, warm multi-varietal and multi textured olives straight out of the wood burning oven. Tossed with orange, rosemary, and fragrant olive oil, the large plate doesn’t last long. The insalata di polpo, tender braised and grilled octopus, is a highlight of the antipasti. The Italian focused cocktail menu is no slouch with a barrel-aged negroni and the Ficcho Bello, a fizzy drink with fig infused vodka with rosemary and cherry bitters. The Primi course is where Chef Michael Scognamiglio shines. The Gnocchi Bolognese are little airy pillows tossed in meaty Bolognese and the Risi e Bisi is a buttery parmesan packed risotto with peas and pancetta. If you’ve made it this far the secondi course serves up dishes like beefy tomato and red wine braised meatballs with polenta, an Italian take on chicken cordon bleu and sausage and peppers that would make your Nona proud. With Bacco’s reasonably priced lunch menu of sandwiches, antipasta, pizza, and pasta it’s time to add crossing the bridge to Bacco to your lunch rotation. —Robert Donovan (Dish, Summer 2018)